


Broken Bobbles and Broken Hearts

by toweringovermyhead



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Someone please save Credence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8948053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toweringovermyhead/pseuds/toweringovermyhead
Summary: Credence has a panic attack over a Christmas bobble, and Queenie helps him through it.Based off an image on Tumblr.





	

It happens almost instantly. There’s the soft sound of a pop from somewhere in the Goldstein apartment, and then nothing. The air becomes thick, dark energy flooding the place. Queenie had been wrapping Christmas presents in her bedroom for her sister and their new friends when the atmosphere took a turn. The holiday was just around the corner and she was excited to share it with the people she cared for the most.  
  
It felt like the air was being taken from her lungs by force. Queenie quickly tossed aside her wrapping paper, clammering off her bed with a swiftness. As she reached for the doorknob, she could feel the pain coming from the other side like electric sparks against her fingertips. Carefully, she opened the door and peered into the room. “Credence, honey, what - oh, Credence.”  
  
The floodgates had opened as soon as she stepped into the room. Her head was filled with a chorus of angry shouting, of pain, of begging and crying for it to stop. Tears were in her eyes before she realised. Through the blur of tears, she could see Credence crouched near the Christmas tree, trying to make himself as small as he could. He had his head in his hands, gripping at his ears hard enough to make the skin of his knuckles white. The tears in his own eyes were pooling heavily, threatening to spill over.  
  
He started at the sound of her voice. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry,” he said, as quiet as a bedtime prayer. Credence was shaking as Queenie made her way towards him. It was usually Newt who helped the boy when things like this happened. He knew how to handle the raw emotions with a certain grace that only comes with years of practice. Queenie usually avoided these times, knowing that the strong emotions that came with Credence’s panic attacks were enough to send her reeling.  
  
Careful, as not to startle him, Queenie sat next to Credence, a bit away to give him space to breathe. She leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as tears of her own streamed down her cheeks. “It’s alright, honey. These things happen. You needn’t worry a bit. I’ve broken more bobbles than I can count.” She opened her eyes, daring to glance over at Credence. He had stopped shaking slightly, but wasn’t making any attempts to move closer to her. He still hung his head, holding it protectively. Hurt and the briefest flicker of anger flashed through Queenie, passing quickly as Credence’s own fear and anguish flooded in.  
  
“It’s nothing a little magic can’t fix, you know? They’re rarely completely the same when you put ‘em back together, but it gives them more character. Gives them a story,” she spoke with a weak smile on her lips. She pulled out her wand, keeping it away from the boy lest he think it was something to cause him more harm. With a flick of the wrist, the bobble on the ground began to piece itself back together and head back to it’s position on the tree. There we some little cracks still visible, and little flecks of paint missing, but the gold bobble looked perfectly in place.  
  
“Well, would you look at that? No harm done,” she said in a hushed tone. Credence had lifted his head to watch the bobble. He’d let his hands fall to his knees, still clutching too tight to be comfortable. Tears had finally started to fall down his sharp cheeks, leaving behind wet spots against his trousers. With a watery gaze, he turned to Queenie, question silent behind his eyes. Oh, how Queenie wished she could piece him back together as simply as she had with the ornament. Rather than going for her wand and a simple spell, she held her arms open towards the young man. Credence was in her arms in a flash, a fresh waves of tears falling down his cheeks and onto the silk of Queenie’s robe. “There, now. It’s alright. Good as new. Nothing to fear,” she said into his hair, her hands rubbing his back to help ground him.  
  
Slowly but surely, his sobs faded into whimpers, and the whimpers into soft breathes. She smiled as she gave him a tight squeeze. “That’s it, dear. How about some cocoa, yeah? That’s the best cure for a sour moment. I swear by it.” Credence, though calmer, didn’t seem much up for conversation, fear of saying the wrong things still rushing through his mind. He gave her a small nod against her shoulder, and she couldn’t say no to that. The kitchen was thankfully within range, so she needn’t move to conjure the ingredients together. Two steaming cups of cocoa floated over to them, warmth radiating through the ceramic mugs. Credence and Queenie separated slightly so they could enjoy their beverages, but Credence stayed close, leaning into her side gently. She smiled into the rim of her cup, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  
  
Credence dropped off quickly after the cocoa warmed the aching chill in his bones from his panic attack. He dozed lightly against Queenie as she hummed him a song. She knew she wasn’t much of a singer, but humming a tune was easy enough. It wasn’t much longer until they both fell asleep against the wall in the sitting room, the soft glow of the fairy lights casting a calming light over them.

  


It was a few hours later when Newt stumbled across the pair. He could see the tear tracks on both of their cheeks, but there were no more traces of sadness or pain on their faces and they slept. Queenie’s hair was mashed against Credence’s as her head rested atop his. Credence’s arms were still wrapped around her waist, and hers around his shoulders. The glow of the Christmas lights cast a peaceful aura around the two.  
  
Newt smiled to himself in admiration and pride. Proud of Credence for opening himself up to the comfort and kindness of the people around him. Admiration for Queenie for facing what must have been a very difficult situation for her with the grace and poise of her namesake. He settled himself in front of the pair, curling up like a house cat on the floor. It was easier to drift off to sleep with two of his new, strange little family members near by. If the three awoke throughout the night, consciousness ebbing and flowing freely, just to check that the rest were still there with soft smiles on their faces, then they’d be none the wiser.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this little image on Tumblr: http://lynxdre.tumblr.com/post/154718126189/im-quite-obsessed-i-guess
> 
> I hope someone gets a flicker of enjoyment from this. Fanfiction isn't exactly my forte.


End file.
